Thursday, February 28, 2008

The U.S. team usually brings 30 soccer balls on any trip. They are down to 26. There seems to be an epidemic of punctures hitting the team’s soccer balls as four have been permanently retired due to involuntary deflation issues. We know that at least one ball’s life came to a tragic end. It seems it fell victim to one of the palm trees behind one goal at the USA’s training field. Against all odds, a shot landed directly, at just the right (or wrong) angle on a very sharp frond, instantly puncturing the leather skin and bladder, resulting in the occurrence of rapid deflation. The team will have no problems finishing the Algarve Cup with 26 balls, but it would be wise to keep all future shots away from the palms.

About U.S. Soccer

As the governing body of soccer in all its forms in the United States, U.S. Soccer has helped chart the course for the sport in the USA for more than 90 years. In this time, the Federation’s mission statement has been very simple and very clear: to make soccer, in all its forms, a preeminent sport in the United States and to continue the development of soccer at all recreational and competitive levels.